Wardrobe case



W. H. BRACKEN WARDROBHCASE July 14, 1942.

Filed July 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. M11405 f/ 3R4 (/(E/VPatented July 14, 1942 UEE STTES 2 Claims.

been known in the art but have been unsatisfaca tory for the reason thatno suitable construction was devised to prevent water from entering theinterior of the case, should it be left temporarily in the rain, andsuch cases were not dust-proof. In the event that a determined effortwas made to form a dust-proof and Water-proof case in two disengageablesections, the parts fit so tightly that they could not be easily openedand disengaged. One of the principal reasons for the failure in thisrespect of the devices of the art was the belief that some type of hingestructure between the sections was believed to be necessary.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide acase of this general type wherein hinges or structures that function orappear like hinges are eliminated entirely, and wherein the smaller ofthe two sections may be disengaged and removed from the larger sectionwith a minimum of effort and may be assembled into the complete unitwith equal facility.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wardrobe caseformed in two articulated or interfitted sections wherein means areprovided to make a tight and positive seal between the meeting edges ofthe several sections, thus completely eliminating the possibility ofdust, dirt or Water from entering the interior of the case.

To this end the preferred embodiment of the invention includes twoportions, which, for convenience, will be called a body section and acover section, respectively, although both are in fact body sections.The cover section is of lesser height than the body section, carries thesingle handle of the assembled case on its upper wall, and is formedwith a closure flap or hinged cover on its inner surface so as toprovide a complete article carrying unit in itself. It is particularlyuseful, for instance, for carrying needed articles from a Pullman berthto the washroom, or it may even be carried about from place to place asa complete though diminutive traveling case.

The body section includes a base portion of the full width of theassembled case, and an upper portion of substantially the same size andshape as the cover section. A space is thus provided in the base portionfor carrying shoes, and in the upper portion for receiving a novel suitor dress supporting device which will enable one or more mens suits orladies dresses, or both, to be carried free from wrinkling, and willenable either of the suits or dresses to be removed from the casewithout disturbing the other. The meeting marginal edges of the twosections are formed with novel complemental elements insuring a tightfit between the sections.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a case of thischaracter wherein the two sections cooperate with each other to impartadded strength and rigidity to the assembled structure.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a wardrobecase for carrying either mens or ladies body garments, or both, which isof simple construction and which is of relatively small dimensions topermit of hand transporta tion.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two of suchcomplemental elements which provide overlapping surfaces at the meetingmarginal edges of the two sections. The lower longitudinal edge and thelower transverse edges of the cover sections are formed with downwardlyextending flanges on valances adjacent to the outer surfaces thereof,and the adjacent meeting edges of the cut-out portion of the bodysection are formed with recesses to receive the valances. On the end andtop walls of the body section the cut-out portion is provided with arigid valence or flange which encloses the meeting marginal edges of thecover section. These side wall valances form a very convenient guide forthe opposed side walls of the cover section when the parts are to beassembled.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View showing the two sections indisengaged position.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the body section of the case showing aportion of the interior thereof.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a broken vertical section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a broken horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6, but shows the relative location of theparts when the cover section is in place.

Fig. 8 is a broken vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the cover section showing the interiorwall thereof.

Fig. 10 shows a modified construction of the cover section shown in Fig.9.

Fig. 11 is a broken section taken on line I of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a broken section taken on line |2| 2 of Fig. 10.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a bodysection l and a cover section II. Body section II] includes a base wallI2, end walls or gussets l3, and a top wall or gusset l4. The left-handside of end wall l3, when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2, extends the fullheight of the case. The right-hand side, however, is cut away at a pointspaced from base wall I2 thereof. This cut-away section is preferably ofa width substantially equal to the width of the left-hand section whichextends to the top of the case. There is thus formed a substantiallyrectangular recess designated generally by the reference numeral |6which receives the cover section II in a manner hereinafter to bedescribed.

One side wall of the case designated by the reference numeral I8 isexpansible to accommodate additional articles which may be placed in theinterior of the body section. This expansible wall is formed with theusual bellows gusset I9, and the wall is normally urged in the directionof the interior of the case by means of straps 28 having cooperatingbuckles 2| (Fig. 4) The side wall 24 opposite expansible wall |8 extendsthe full length of the case, and its upper edge 25 is of the same heightas edge 26 of end wall l3 which defines the lower end of recess l6.

Th interior of the body section II! may thus be generally divided intotwo sections 28 and 29, and in section 28 a plurality ofbody-garmentsupporting devices 30 for mens or womens garments may beinserted. These garment-supporting devices are substantially rectangularin shape and include vertical supports 3| and horizontal bars 32, theopposite terminals 33 of vertical supports 3| extending above and belowthe upper and lower horizontal bars 32, respectively. The lowerhorizontal bar may also be formed with a coat hanger portion 34. Thegarment-supporting devices 36 are maintained in vertical position bymeans of straps 36 having cooperating, detachable elements 31 at theirinner ends, the outer ends being secured to the inner surfaces of thegussets I3. By providing the larger area 28 to receive the hangerstructures 38, it will be readily appreciated that a suit carried on oneof these structures may be easily removed from the case withoutdisturbing the other clothes.

Area 28 is desirably formed of sufficient width to receive one or moreof these garment-supporting devices 30 with the garments carriedthereby, although. when extensible side wall I8 is let outwardly to itsmaximum position, three or more of such garment-supporting devices maybe inserted therein. Area 29 at the lower end of the body section I8 isquite shallow, and is designed primarily for the carrying of shoes orother similar articles.

A valance strip 48 extends along the inner edge of the cut-out portionat each end wall I3, such valance strip having a portion 4| extendingalong the inner edge of upper wall or gusset M. It will be noted from anexamination of Figs. 6 and 7 that the inner surface 43 of this valancelies on the same Plane as the outer surface of end wall l3 of the bodysection I0, such valance enclosing the outer surface of the marginaledges of cover section II. This cover section is substantially rigid inconstruction and includes a side wall 46, a top wall 41, and end walls48, a conventional handle 49 being secured to upper wall 4'! adjacent tothe inner edge 50 thereof. The cover section also includes a lower wall53 formed with a valance or flange 54 extending downwardly at the loweredge of side wall 46, such valance being preferably flush with the outersurface of such wall 46. This valance extends around the lower edge ofside walls 48, as shown at 55.

The upper edge 25 of inner side wall 24 of body section H1 is formedwith a longitudinal cut-out portion or recess 56 which receives valance54 in interfitting engagement. This recess extends along the upper edge26 of end wall I3, as shown at 51. Thus, when the cover section isassembled with the body section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the entireside wall of the case defined by walls 24 and 46 presents a smooth,unbroken appearance, except for line 58 defining the lower edge ofvalance 54 and the upper edge of the outer surface of wall 24. Lowerwall 53 of cover section further includes a longitudinal rib 60 which isspaced inwardly from the inner surface of valance 54, thus forming achannel 6| which snugly receives the upper reduced portion of said wall24. On its inner surface the cover section is formed with a wall member64 formed preferably of flexible material and. being detachably joinedto the end walls 48 by mean of a slide fastener element 65. A flexibleclosure flap 66 also hangs downwardly from upper wall 47.

When the case is to be assembled, the lower end of the cover section maybe positioned just above the lower end of the cut-out portion and thelower inner corners designated at 52 (Fig. 2) of the cover section areinserted within the valances 46 at each end of the body section, suchvalances acting as a very convenient guide for assembling the parts. Theend walls 48 of the cover section are now aligned wtih the end walls l3of the body section and the cover section may now be moved downwardlyuntil it comes to rest on edges 25 and 26 at the lower end of the cutoutportion. The cover section is now moved inwardly until its forward edge67 engages the edge 68 formed on upper wall l4 of section I0, as shownin Fig. 5. The cover section is now locked to the body section by meansof cooperating looking elements 69 and 18 formed on cover section I! andbody section I9, respectively. The valances 46 prevent sidewise movementof the lower section and the lower surface of upper valance 4|cooperates with the upper marginal edges of the cover section to rigidlysupport such section relative to the body section.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, cover section includeson its inner surface a relatively rigid wall 14 hinged at 75 to lowerwall 53'. In this instance, th marginal edges of side walls 48 arerecessed, as shown at 16, thus assuring a tight fit. In thismodification, valance 54 and rib 60 are similar to the structure shownin Fig. 5, but adjacent to the rear edge of lower wall 53' another ribTI is formed to enable the cover section which may b carried completelyindependently of the body section to stand upright when desired.

It will be noted that there is formed along all the meeting edges of thetwo sections an overlapping surface which not only aids in assemblingthe two sections quickly but also renders the assembled case dust-proofand water-proof as well. If desired, this overlapping may be dispensedwith on the lower transverse edge 26 of the body section and also thevalance strips 40 and 4| could be secured along the meeting marginaledges of the cover section rather than th body section. Alsocomplemental handle members may be secured to the upper Walls of bothsections and either handle used independently when only one section isbeing carried.

These are only a few of the modifications which are fully within thescop of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Inother words, the embodiments illustrated and described are the preferredof many possible embodiments of the invention and are not to beconsidered in any limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A traveling case formed with a body section and a completelyremovable cover section of lesser height than the body section, the bodysection having a cut-outportion extending downwardly from its upper walland corresponding in size and shape to that of the cover section, avalance strip secured on the upper wall of the body section along saidcut-out portion and enclosing the upper marginal edge of the coversection when the two sections are in assembled relationship, suchvalance strip extending downwardly, along the marginal edges of thecut-out portion, substantially to the base of the body section andenclosing the adjacent marginal edges of the cover section, the lowermarginal edges of the cut-out portion along the side and end walls ofthe body section having longitudinal recesses extending inwardly fromthe outer surfaces thereof, the lower marginal edges of the coversection having complemental flanges receivable in said recesses, andmeans secured adjacent to, but spaced from, the outer marginal edge ofthe lower Wall of the cover section, such means abutting against theinner surface of the adjacent side wall of the body section when the twosections are in closed-together relationship, and preventingdisengagement of the lower end of the cover section from the bodysection.

2. A traveling case formed with a body section and a completelyremovable cover section, the cover section including a side wallextending the full length of the case, top and bottom walls and endwalls of lesser height than the body section, a closure flap for thecompartment formed by said walls, the body section having a cut-outportion extending downwardly from its upper wall to a point spaced fromits base, and corresponding in size and shape to that of the coversection, a valance strip secured on the upper wall of the body sectionalong said cut-out portion and enclosing and supporting the uppermarginal edge of the cover section when the two sections are inassembled relationship, such valance strip also extending downwardlyalong the marginal edges of the cut-out portion to the base of the bodysection, the lower marginal edges of the cut-out portion along the sideand end Walls of the body section having a recess extending inwardlyfrom the outer surfaces thereof, the lower marginal edges of the coversection having a complemental flange receivable in said recess, a ribpositioned adjacent to, but spaced from, the outer marginal edge of thelower wall of the cover section abutting against the inner surface ofthe adjacent side wall of the body section when the two sections are inclosed-together relationship, and locking means for securing the twosections together at their upper ends,

WALLACE H. BRACKEN.

